An Eye For An Eye
by Hisashi Loves Yelen
Summary: A jilted Mitsui sets out to seek revenge on the offender. Etc, etc. PG-13 for language, RuMit. [One-shot]


Disclaimer: Lalala characters aren't mine lalala but Mitsui Hisashi belongs to me in our rightful spiritual home in my heart. 3 

Rating: PG-13 for language. This fic contains quite a bit of swearing. 

Pairing: RuMit, with a bit of SenMit/MitSen. 

Genre: Shounen-ai, Romance (ack), Drama. 

Warning: This fic, particularly the dumb author of this fic, can't decide if it wants to be humour or angst, so the final production is a bad concoction of both, but mostly, it's melodrama. It's also a bit lengthy. Oh, and how can I forget? There's no plot. Thank you.   


* * *

  
An Eye For An Eye

"Rukawa?" 

"What." 

"You free?" 

"No." 

"Which is why you're sitting here staring at the sky." 

"I'm thinking." 

A snort. "That's a joke, you know." 

"I don't joke." 

Pause. And then, "That's true." 

A sigh. "What do you want?" 

Shrug. "Just to talk." 

"To me?" 

"Yeah. Why not?" 

"Because." 

"Because...?" 

"'Cause." 

"You know, I didn't come here for The Art of Silence 101." 

"Do'ahou." 

"Look, I'm troubled and I just want a friendly listening ear, all right? Can you do that for me?" 

Another pause. Time is standing still. Or maybe it's stretching into infinity. Neither of them really knows. 

And finally, "Fine." 

A deep intake of breath. "Want to hear a story?" 

"Yeah." Just get to the point and quit beating around the bush. 

"All right. Here goes." 

** 

_Ten a.m., Shohoku High School_. 

Mitsui Hisashi sauntered down the empty corridors, occasionally peeking into occupied classrooms, surprising students and enraging teachers. He smirked. This was fun. This was living. Cutting classes and flaunting his delinquency in the faces of the worthless so-called educators in this otherwise-useless school. If it weren't for basketball, he would never even come to school in the first place. 

Mitsui felt like he was walking on air, but he didn't know why, exactly. Maybe it was because the team had just secured their rightful place in the upcoming Inter-High tournament. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because... well, did he need a reason to feel happy? 

Mitsui started to whistle. He had a vague idea of going for class, but he really wasn't in the mood to sit through hours after hours of lessons that droned on and on while he thought of other things, like basketball, for example. 

_Or a certain smiling forward from Ryonan._

At that thought, Mitsui's footsteps grew even lighter. He started to smile to himself, ignoring the half-curious, mostly-terrified stares he drew from passing fellow students. He felt a sudden vibration in his pockets. It was his handphone. 

"Instant message received!" It was from Sendoh. Gleefully, Mitsui opened the message. It read: 'Hellooo Sempai, how r u 2day? i miss u! 3 akira.' 

Mitsui suddenly heard someone laughing/sniggering softly, as if trying to suppress the urge but failing miserably. When he looked around to see who the loser was and saw that the corridor was empty, he realised that the sound came from himself. 

So it was official: Mitsui Hisashi had became a swooning moron. 

Oh well. Who cared. It made him happy. 

Still whistling, Mitsui continued his mini-journey down the corridor, all the while messaging away furiously on his phone. 

And that was the ultimate reason for Mitsui's morning air-walk. 

** 

_Eleven a.m., Shohoku High School, cafeteria._

"So I was like, 'What happened to the rest of them?' And he was like, 'What rest of them?' And I was like, 'All the guys and the girls that you supposedly date simultaneously.' And he raised this cuuuute eyebrow and went, 'What in the world are you talking about? I have eyes for you and only you, Mitsui-sempai.'" 

Mitsui interrupted his own babblings to take a breather. He flashed a grin at his attentive audience, and then he added, "Isn't that so sweet?" 

His audience, however, didn't seem to share his sentiments. Hotta had one skeptical eyebrow hidden beneath his ungelled hair; Takano was frowning; and Namiki simply looked unimpressed. 

Silence ensued. Mitsui frowned. "Hello? Are you guys deaf or something?" 

Finally, Hotta spoke. "Um, Mitchan, it's not that we're not happy for you, but..." He looked cautiously at Takano and Namiki, who were cowardly avoiding his eyes. Sighing, Hotta chose to remain silent. 

"But... what?" 

Still, Hotta said nothing. 

"But. _What?_" Mitsui pressed on, his voice taking on an edge that clearly showed he had no patience for such bullshit and he was getting very, very annoyed. 

"Okay, okay," Hotta said, raising his arms to fend off Mitsui's growing animosity. "Just tell me. When did you get together with that porcupine?" 

"He is NOT a porcupine," Mitsui snapped. "Yesterday, so?" 

Worried looks were exchanged between Mitsui's three best friends. And once again, Hotta was the one who took charge. 

"Don't shoot the messenger, but..." his voice trailed off. This was going to be hard. He hated to burst his friend's bubble, but _someone_ had to do it. He didn't want to see his friend get even more hurt. 

"But. _WHAT?_" Mitsui said again, and this time his eyes were shooting daggers at poor Hotta. 

"But we" -- he pointed to Namiki and Takano -- "saw him, _with our very own eyes_, this morning walking to school with um, Sakuragi. Holding hands." 

Hotta quickly lowered his gaze and avoided Mitsui's startled and surprised eyes. For a while, no one spoke, and Hotta's startling revelation hung thickly in the air between the group of friends, and they reverberated noisily in the air molecules that surrounded them, making such a racket that they would never be silenced in a million years. 

Hotta sneaked a surreptitious glance at Mitsui, who was staring at... something. Nothing. Everything. Hotta didn't know. He felt a tinge of guilt creep up his spine. Internally, he heaved a sigh. He really hated having to break the news to him, but what choice did he have? The other two idiots were too stupid to say anything. 

"But I just exchanged SMSes with him... less than an hour ago..." Mitsui tore his gaze away from whatever he was staring at and looked at his friends. "Are you guys sure?" 

The three of them nodded. 

"That is... I..." Mitsui was at a loss for words. He was stunned. He couldn't believe his ears. He _didn't_ want to believe his ears. But Hotta would never lie to him, and neither would his gang; they were tight. Way too tight. 

And when the truth finally dawned on him, Mitsui went berserk. 

"_That fucking asshole!_" he roared. He slammed his fist against the table, so intent in his tirade that he was completely oblivious to the disturbing sound of cracking bones that it produced, and to the searing pain that shot up his arm. "_What the hell does he take me for? I'm Mitsui Hisashi, for fuck's sake! Nobody fucks with me and expects to get away with it!_" 

"Yeah, I know, Mitchan. I'm sorry. We'll help you beat him up if you wish," Takano offered. 

"Hell yeah beat that stupid porcupine up!" Mitsui went on, his voice quivering with rage. "If you guys hadn't seen him with... fuck me! Hanamichi?! He chose Hanamichi over ME? Is he fucking crazy?!" 

"Um, Mitchan, I don't think he chose Sakuragi over you..." Hotta said, trying to calm his heartbrokened friend down and restrain him from breaking every available window at the same time. "In fact, I think he's two-timing him too." 

Mitsui's eyes positively bulged at this new and intriguing piece of information. "Really! Well, who the hell does he think he is? Does he think he can take us Shohoku players for a ride? He's gonna pay. Like I said, nobody fucks with Mitsui Hisashi and expects to get away with it." Mitsui calmed down a little, and his voice hardened. "_Sendoh Akira is going down._" 

With that, Mitsui Hisashi embarked on his life mission to exact revenge on Sendoh Akira. 

** 

_Twelve noon, Shohoku High School. Rooftop._

"And that is where you, Rukawa Kaede, come in." 

Rukawa arches an eyebrow. "Huh." 

"Yeah." Mitsui flashes a smile, one which he evidently hopes is disarming. "Wanna know your role in this whole unfortunate fiasco?" 

Rukawa simply states: "No." 

"You," Mitsui goes on, ignoring Rukawa's comment, "will play a _huge_ role in my revenge plot. You, Rukawa Kaede, will -- " 

"Sempai, shut up. I don't want any part of this shit." 

"_You, Rukawa Kaede,_" Mitsui insists obdurately. "Will be..." he pauses for dramatic effect. "...posing as my boyfriend!" Mitsui flashes another warm smile at the younger boy. "Isn't that brilliant?" 

Rukawa stares at Mitsui, unblinking, seemingly stoic, but his next words prove otherwise. "Sempai, you're crazy." 

"Come _on, _Rukawa. Help me out here. Do you know what that fuckhole did to me? To my _pride_? Hell, to the pride of our team? He even played that dumb arse Hanamichi!" 

"Good for him," Rukawa mutters under his breath. 

"Okay, so maybe you think he deserves it, but _I_ don't. Don't you get it? I've never been played before when it comes to stuff like this and... god! It aggravates me just _thinking _that Sendoh even _thought_ of fooling me!" 

Rukawa doesn't say anything, merely rolls his eyes and looks away from the older boy. His sempai is going crazy. Hell, he finds it hard to believe for even a second that someone like Mitsui would ever fall for someone like Sendoh. Mixing the two of them together is like attempting to mix oil with water. It's impossible. Mitsui is too good for that stupid smiling porcupine. 

"You're too good for him." 

It's only when Rukawa hears his own words that he realises he's spoke out loud. _Oh shit_. He glances at Mitsui from the corner of his eyes to see if he heard, only to see Mitsui looking back at him in shock. 

Rukawa looks away. 

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" 

Rukawa feigns innocence. "Don't know what you're talking about." 

"No, you did say what I think you just said," Mitsui insists. "You said that I'm too good for Sendoh. You did, didn't you. Come on, be a man. Admit it." 

"Whatever." 

Mitsui snorts. "This is so like you. Nevermind. I know you said it, and I'm going to take that as a sign that you're agreeing to my plot. Today, after basketball practice, 7 p.m., we're going to Wendy's, Sendoh's favourite hang-out. And we're gonna show him who's the boss. Okay? Good. See you." 

Mitsui stands up without giving Rukawa a chance to react, and he's already hurrying down the staircase when Rukawa realises what just happened. By the time he's snapped out of his shock, however, it's already too late. Mitsui is gone. 

Rukawa clenches his fists in frustration. _Yare yare_. 

** 

_Seven p.m., Shohoku High School. Main entrance._

"Sempai." 

"What?" 

"I'm going home." 

"No, you're not." Mitsui grabs Rukawa's arm and pulls him closer to him. "You're coming with me. You _agreed_." 

"I did no such thing," Rukawa protests. He wrenches his arm free of Mitsui's grip. "You're crazy, you know that?" 

Mitsui glares at the younger boy. "Fuck off. None of your business." 

And with those words, Rukawa feels chills covering every single portion of his body. Mitsui stalks off without a further word, but clearly expecting Rukawa to catch up. 

_None of my business, huh? Which is exactly why you're dragging me to that crappy fast food restaurant and forcing me to partake in your stupid revenge plot on some arse that isn't even worth it._

By right, Rukawa feels that he should be offended. Nobody in his life has ever dared to tell him to 'fuck off' without expecting something catastrophic in return, like two black eyes and countless of bruises to the body, for example. And Mitsui is acting so high and mighty that Rukawa _should_ be pissed off. 

But he caught something in his sempai's eyes in that fleeting moment, something that Mitsui is obviously trying to suppress. Rukawa isn't sure what it is, but he's sure of one thing. 

The stupid porcupine has hurt Mitsui more than he's willing to admit. And Mitsui is far from being okay. 

Sighing, Rukawa fixes his gaze on Mitsui's shadow and follows closely behind. 

** 

_Seven-fifteen p.m., Wendy's._

Mitsui barges into the busy fast food restaurant, turning only to make sure that Rukawa is still with him. He is. The younger boy is scowling and looking very much the unhappy camper that he is as he follows Mitsui into the restaurant. 

Mitsui scans the bustling crowd, so dense that it's almost like viscous blood, and searches for the familiar gravity-defying hairstyle that he's come to adore. Initially, his search yields no result... but finally, he spots him, sitting in a corner, one arm draped lazily over the empty chair next to him, his other hand holding a glass to his lips. Mitsui's gaze travels to the space opposite Sendoh... and finds himself looking at Kiyota Nobunaga, the self-styled 'Golden Rookie' of Kainan. Of all fucking people. 

On impulse, Mitsui grabs Rukawa's hand. Purposefully, he stalks over to where Sendoh and Kiyota are seated, pulling Rukawa forcefully along. Mitsui pretends not to have seen them as he plops into an empty table next to Sendoh's. He stares at Rukawa, who is trailing behind, his grip having already lost Mitsui's in the older boy's hasty attempt to make himself noticed to his former lover, however brief it was, and Mitsui's eyes urge Rukawa to sit down, and to sit down _quick_. 

_Oh well. You've already come this far._

Rukawa sits. Mitsui is burying himself in a menu, but behind it, he's sneaking glances at the Sendoh/Kiyota table. And what he's seeing makes his blood boil with rage. 

Kiyota and Sendoh are holding hands under the table. _They are holding hands under the table_. They are so intent on each other that they didn't even notice Mitsui and Rukawa's arrival. Sendoh is whispering something to Kiyota, something which Mitsui can't hear because it's so noisy, but from the way his lips are moving, Mitsui is sure that it's the same pack of lies that he's been fed only yesterday. 

_"I have eyes for only you, Mitsui-sempai."_

What a crock of shit. Sendoh says something to Kiyota that makes the latter burst out in jubilant laughter, and needless to even mention, the ever-present smile is plastered permanently on Sendoh's face, as he uses his thumb to caress Kiyota's hand under the table. 

While Mitsui is watching the obscenity that is going on at the table next to his, Rukawa is watching his sempai's face. The menu has been lowered a few inches, allowing Rukawa to see Mitsui's expression. First, there was the expected rage. The disbelief. The shock. These were quickly followed by myriad murderous thoughts that must've flitted through his mind, crazy thoughts that came and went and tried to supplant the overwhelming feeling of hurt and dejection and _rejection_ that must have been threatening to surface ever since he's received the news, but looking at it, staring straight at the clear evidence of Sendoh's betrayal, has made it the more pronounced, the less abstract. 

Mitsui finally tears his eyes away from the other table. He is silent. He puts down the menu and reaches for the glass of water. He takes a sip and doesn't utter a single word. 

_Oh, Sempai. Why the torture? Why? You deserve so much better._

Rukawa feels that he should do something, help his sempai somehow, though how exactly, he doesn't know yet. And he doesn't know either why it tugs so strongly at his heartstrings to see Mitsui, the ever-confident Mitsui Hisashi, looking as lost as he is now, like a scared little child lost amidst the cruelties of the real world. 

_Yes. I must do something._

Impulsively, without thinking, Rukawa stands up, and pushes his chair back with such force that it almost topples over. He strides over to Mitsui's end of the table, and in the process, purposely knocks into Sendoh's protruding elbow, catching his attention. He ignores Sendoh's eyes on him and pretends that he isn't aware of his presence as he sits down next to Mitsui. 

This must be an out-of-body experience, because he doesn't feel like himself when he slides his arm possessively around Mitsui's waist and pulls the older boy closer to him. He rests his head against Mitsui's chest, and it feels so comfortable and cozy that he almost believed it's real. 

But one look at Mitsui's startled expression dispells any lingering thoughts that Mitsui feels the same. 

"Hug me, you moron," Rukawa hisses to Mitsui under his breath. "Sendoh is watching." 

Understanding dawns in Mitsui's eyes. Quickly, he put his arms around Rukawa's shoulders, and, for an added bonus, plants a soft kiss on the younger boy's forehead. 

Rukawa suspects he's dreaming, because something so _made-up_ cannot possibly feel so good, so _real_, in real life. Mitsui's arms around his shoulders... he thinks he can practically melt into them, or just fall asleep in them and not worry about anything anymore. 

He wants to remain like this forever. With Mitsui. Dreaming their combined dream, lying on a field of green and yellow and blue, letting the gentle sun bathe them in its benevolent warmth, and never waking up. Rukawa never wants to wake up, for reality is way too harsh. 

Mitsui catches Sendoh's eyes, and he throws him a smirk. For once, Sendoh's self-assured smile has slipped from his face. He drinks in the sight before him -- Rukawa, his _nemesis_, lying snugly in Mitsui-sempai's arms. _His_ Mitsui-sempai. 

Sendoh swallows. He glances at Kiyota, who is still looking adoringly at him. He glances back at Mitsui-sempai, and he suddenly feels like the biggest idiot in the world. 

Forgetting about Kiyota, Sendoh gets up from his seat and walks over to Mitsui and Rukawa, who has serenely closed his eyes, appearing to be asleep. 

Sendoh almost gags. This is sickening. 

"Mitsui-sempai," he says, and flashes a smile. "Can I have a word with you?" 

Mitsui arches an eyebrow. "Oh, so now you want to _talk._" He snorts. "Get outta here." 

Sendoh's smile falters, but just a little. "Please. Just hear me out." 

"Why should I?" 

Is it just him, or has Mitsui-sempai's protest grown a little weak? Sendoh feels a surge of renewed confidence, and his smile broadened. "Because I know you will give me another chance." 

Mitsui looks at Sendoh. He knows he shouldn't give in. He knows he mustn't be weak. But looking at those cobalt blue eyes, and that gorgeous, winning smile, has made whatever resolve he's settled on earlier in school completely dissolved into the fizzy soda that Sendoh was drinking. 

And so Mitsui pries Rukawa's arms off his waist, forgetting to be gentle in his haste to get back together with Sendoh. 

Rukawa opens his eyes, and the cold, glaring lights of the restaurant almost blinds him. He feels himself falling onto something soft -- the seat -- and he watches as the two figures fade into the noisy backdrop of jostling bodies, and finally disappearing into the night. 

Rukawa sits up. Instantly, he shuts his eyes and he feels a dizzying vortex seizing him by the neck, choking the life out of him. This is just great. He can't believe what a fool he's just made of himself, and for what? For Mitsui-sempai to get back together with that blasted porcupine. 

Rukawa clenches his fists. He looks at the empty seat in front of him, and feels hotness covering his cheeks. 

** 

_Seven-thirty p.m. Wendy's. A sparsely-lighted alley adjacent to the restaurant._

"So. Talk." 

Mitsui leans casually against the wall, standing directly under a lone street lamp that basks him in white, fluorescent light. He looks expectingly at Sendoh, who is suddenly standing very, very close to him. 

"Come on, Mitsui-sempai... we're alone now... is words what you really want?" 

Sendoh grins lopsidedly as he leans in for a quick kiss. 

Mitsui smirks. He turns his head, sending Sendoh tumbling into nothing but air. 

"I want an explanation, and I fucking want it now, so don't try that shit on me." 

Sendoh straightens up and pouts. "Your harshness is really hurting, you know." 

"Fuck you, Sendoh," Mitsui snaps. "What the hell do _you_ know about 'hurt'? You're just a stupid playboy who doesn't even give a crap whose feelings you trample upon in the process of you conquering all these... people. For whatever warped reason. I don't know, and frankly, I don't _want_ to know. So why don't you just get to the freaking point and stop wasting my time? Rukawa is waiting, and so is _Kiyota_." 

Sendoh winces. Okay, time to stop playing games. 

"Okay, I'll get to the point." He inhales, and slowly lets it out. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to... I never meant for all of this to happen. Don't snort, Sempai. I'm serious. No, I'm _really_ serious. Look, can you just abandon your prejudices about me and hear me out?" 

"You know, it's funny you should say that," Mitsui says with an ironic edge to his tone. "I never had any prejudices about you until my friends told me that you held hands with Sakuragi while walking him to school this morning, and until I saw you and Kiyota flirting the daylights out of each other just now in the restaurant, and all of this after you told me you supposedly 'have eyes for only me'. Who else do you date, eh? Maki Shinichi? Hell, even Akagi?" 

"What the heck?" Sendoh's smile is completely gone now, and in its place is an uncharacteristic frown. "You got it all wrong, Sempai." 

"Oh, _really_?" 

"Yes," Sendoh insists. He rakes a hand through his hair, but his spikes only springs back into place. "I know you're mad at me, but well, truthfully, I didn't realise what I feel for you until... until I saw you with Rukawa. Like that. In the restaurant. It was _painful._" Sendoh sighs and looks into Mitsui's eyes. "I've made a terrible mistake, and I know it. Can you please forgive me? Can we start over? Pretend this never happened?" 

The corners of Mitsui's mouth tug upwards into an ironic grin. "You know what, Sendoh? You're awfully idealistic. You want me to pretend that you never lied to me? Never fooled me into thinking you had feelings for me? Hell, you want me to forget that you insulted not just me, but my _pride_ as well? Do you know what kind of hell others will get if they ever dare to do something like that?" 

Sendoh is nodding furiously, admitting to all charges that Mitsui is flinging at him. Anything to patch things up with Mitsui again. 

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry." 

"How do you expect me to trust you?" 

"I don't. I just want a chance." 

It's definitely the way Sendoh is looking at him, all puppy-eyed, apologetic and truly sorry. Once again, Mitsui feels his resolve softening. And so he doesn't protest when Sendoh leans into his personal space once again, and this time, instead of moving away, their lips meet in a kiss. 

** 

_Seven-forty p.m. Wendy's._

Rukawa looks at his watch. Fuck. Mitsui-sempai has been gone for ten minutes. 

He can't believe he's stuck with the Kainan monkey, but there you go. His luck, his _evening_, evidently can't get any worse. In front of him, where Mitsui was supposed to be, Kiyota is staring glumly at his uneaten burger. 

"Where's Sendoh-san? He's been gone for so long and he didn't even tell me why." 

Rukawa narrows his eyes and glares at Kiyota. "Shut up," he snaps. "Don't say that word." 

"This is your fault, you know." 

"What?" _How the hell is it my fault that Mitsui-sempai turns out to be absolutely stupid and totally deserving of the damn porcupine?_

"You didn't stop your precious Mitsui from leaving with _my _Sendoh-san." 

All of a sudden, Kiyota's face looks exactly like a dart board. If he had darts, Rukawa would first aim for his right eye, then his left, then his nose, and finally his mouth, where a dart would shoot straight for the voice box and make the stupid monkey speechless so that he can never utter another word for as long as he lives. Rukawa wishes that Kiyota would just _shut up_. 

"Screw you," Rukawa mutters. He glances at his watch. Only 7.42? He could've sworn that half an hour has just crawled by. 

And then, just when he thinks that Mitsui would never return, the door opens and in walks Mitsui... _without_ Sendoh. 

Rukawa feels his heart lurch. Perhaps there is still hope? 

Mitsui glances curiously at Kiyota, who is still staring at his burger, doesn't comment, and, turning his attention to Rukawa, says shortly, "Let's go." 

Without waiting for a reply, Mitsui turns and walks back in the direction where he just came from, expecting Rukawa to catch up. 

And he does. 

** 

_Eight p.m. Kanagawa Park._

Mitsui and Rukawa stroll in silence through the almost-deserted park. It wasn't a conscious decision made by either boy to come here; they'd walked, and somehow, their legs had taken them here. Just as well. 

Mitsui hasn't said a single word ever since getting out of Wendy's, and Rukawa is getting more and more impatient. It's killing him, the suspense, the not knowing whether Mitsui is truly in love with Sendoh or just temporarily infatuated. And what the hell took place out there? Why isn't Mitsui with Sendoh now? None of this is making any sense. 

Next to him, Mitsui fixes his gaze on the ground, seemingly lost in thought. He's completely oblivious to the younger boy's discomfort and anxieties, unaware of the effect his torturing silence has on him. 

Finally, Rukawa can't take it anymore. 

He stops walking. "Sempai." 

Mitsui stops abruptly and a flash of annoyance crosses his face as he turns back to look at Rukawa. "What?" 

Rukawa doesn't move an inch. "Tell me." 

"Tell you what?" 

"What happened." 

_Great. He's going back to those senseless short non-sentences again. And I thought he was finally cured of his disease._

"If you're asking something from me, you better elaborate because I don't know what the hell you're talking about." 

Without waiting for a response, Mitsui continues walking, and, as usual, expecting Rukawa to follow suit. 

But this time, Rukawa remains stubbornly rooted to his spot. 

"Fuck you, Sempai," Rukawa says softly to Mitsui's retreating back. He didn't really mean for Mitsui to hear, but the park was so quiet that even the dropping of a needle would've echoed in the silence. 

Mitsui stops dead in his tracks. He turns around, slowly, to face Rukawa, whose eyes are radiating so much coldness and anger that Mitsui is slightly taken aback. 

_What the hell now?_

"Seriously, Rukawa, I have no time for this. If you want something from me, _just fucking ask. _Stop acting like a childish bastard 'cause I know you're not one. Okay? Now let's go." 

Rukawa has to admit: Mitsui's harsh words cut right at his very core, making it bleed. But another emotion is surfacing now, and it's smothering all other emotions that he's feeling... and it's anger. White-hot anger. Threatening to overwhelm him completely and manifest itself in a series of kicks and punches to Mitsui's indifferent body. 

_Who the hell does he think he is, ordering me around like that?_

"I'm not going." 

Mitsui lets out an exasperated sigh. 

"Tell me again why the hell I rejected Sendoh for you?" 

Rukawa is about to retort by instinct, until Mitsui's words begin to sink in. 

"What did you say?" 

"You heard me." 

"But... why?" 

Mitsui lets out a sound that is a cross between a snort and a laugh. "That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out, but you just won't leave me alone with my thoughts. Thanks a lot, Rukawa. Now I'm even more confused than ever." 

Rukawa doesn't reply. He doesn't know what to say. All he can do is to stare at Mitsui in shock. 

Mitsui squints at Rukawa. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? But wait -- you're Rukawa Kaede." Mitsui laughs. "Well, duh, Hisashi. It's Rukawa Kaede we're talking about. He who does not talk. He who does not smile. The walking block of ice." Here, Mitsui interrupts himself to slap his own forehead. "_What the hell were you thinking, Hisashi? _You chose this idiot over Sendoh. You're _crazy._ You're -- " 

Mitsui is interrupted again, but this time, not by himself. His words, the last remnants of his incoherent psycho-babble, are lost and forgotten as Rukawa suddenly steps forward, wraps his arms around the waist of the older boy, and covers Mitsui's surprised mouth with his own. 

And Mitsui finally understands. 

** 

_The next day. Ten a.m., Shohoku High School. Rooftop._

"Hey Rukawa." 

"Sempai." 

Mitsui sits down next to Rukawa. "Lovely weather." 

"Yeah." 

"Great day." 

"Yeah." 

Silence. And then, 

"What happened yesterday?" 

"What do you mean?" 

Rukawa shifts his position. "With Sendoh." 

"Oh. Well, we kissed." 

Rukawa snaps his head up and swivels around to look at Mitsui, who is grinning mischeviously at him. Rukawa feels himself blush. 

Mitsui reaches out and ruffles Rukawa's hair playfully. "You're so predictable. I knew you'd react like that." 

Rukawa waits for Mitsui to continue, but the older boy doesn't. 

"So?" 

"So what?" 

"You know." 

"You mean after the kiss?" 

Rukawa lets out a soft sigh and says through gritted teeth, "Yes. After the kiss." 

Mitsui smiles. "Long story cut short, I told him that I was flattered that he's willing to give up his playboy-ness for me, but too bad, he simply doesn't do it for me anymore." 

"And then?" 

"And then..." 

Rukawa waits expectantly for Mitsui to continue, but he doesn't. "Go on," Rukawa urges, impatience creeping into his voice. 

"And then he asks why." 

"And you said?" 

"And I said, 'Because there's someone else whom I deserve more than you. Someone who would make me happier than you ever could.'" 

Rukawa feels a hint of a smile invading his stoic features. "And then?" 

"And then what?" 

"Sendoh said?" 

"Sendoh said, 'And who might that be, Mitsui-sempai? You mean there's someone better than me?'" 

"And you said?" 

"I said, 'Yeah.'" 

"And...?" 

"And he asked again who that is." 

"And...?" 

"And..." Mitsui's voice trails off. He looks over at Rukawa, and he smiles. "And I said," he continues, looking the younger boy right in the eyes, "that the person is Rukawa Kaede." Mitsui moves over, closer to Rukawa, and adds, in a soft whisper, "You." 

Rukawa thinks he's dreaming again, for he feels as though he's drowning in a bottomless sea, but he isn't struggling; instead, he feels completely at ease, the still, gentle tranquillity of seawater washing over his skin, taking him into its sweet embrace... but when he feels Mitsui's lips on his, Mitsui's arms around his waist, he knows that this is far from being a dream. 

And for once in his life, reality no longer seems that harsh. 

-end-   


What did I tell you about this fic being plotless? I probably shouldn't have started this without a plot in mind, but there ya go. I'm so desperate for inspiration that I'd take the quickest _sliver_ of it and run like hell with it. Oh well. 

-Yelen   
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  



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